Vines
Aphid explosion on evergreen clematis
Q: I just realized that the new growth on my evergreen clematis is looking really bad. A: Wow, that is a lot of aphids! These sapsucking insects are common in late spring/early summer and populations can explode if weather conditions...
Vines To Cover Wood Pile
Q: I have a pile of fresh logs in an inaccessible ravine on my property. However, it can be seen from the street. What vines do you recommend to cover this so it’s not an eyesore? A: Four vines immediately...
Vines To Cover Up A Log Pile
Q: I have a pile of fresh logs in an inaccessible ravine on my property. However, it can be seen from the street. What vines do you recommend to cover this so it’s not an eyesore? A: Four vines immediately...
Does English Ivy Damage A Cinder Block Wall?
Q: Can variegated English ivy do damage to a cinder block wall? My house has a tall concrete block foundation in the back. A: I don’t think the ivy will physically damage the cinderblock but it does provide a nice...
Vines To Stop Erosion On A Hill?
Q: I have a vertical red clay bank that is several feet high and twenty feet long. Is there any vine I can plant at the top or bottom to stop erosion? A: I would compare English ivy, Confederate jasmine,...
How Invasive Is Climbing Hydrangeas?
Q: I want to plant climbing hydrangea but I am concerned about how invasive it is. How would you compare it to other vines? A: Climbing hydrangea, Hydrangea anomala ssp petiolaris, is not nearly as fast growing or invasive as...
Pruning wisteria for more blooms
Q: I need advice on pruning wisteria. These limbs are twenty feet long but they produce blooms very lightly every summer. Do I prune in winter or summer? A: Both! At the end of each growing season your vine will...
Vines To Stop Erosion
Q: I have a vertical red clay bank that is several feet high and twenty feet long. Is there any vine I can plant at the top or bottom to stop erosion? A: I would compare English ivy, Confederate jasmine,...
Passionvine tincture – Dermatitis (skin rash)
Q: I was given Passionvine medicine by a Naturopath for stress relief and took two doses yesterday. This morning I’ve worked up with the rash’s in the pictures below. I’ve had this rash from a ‘Robyn Gordon’ grevillea, I have...
Climbing hempweed – Identified
Q: I found this vine growing in my backyard in September. Is it an invasive weed or something I should leave for the pollinators? A: My friend Shannon Pable says it’s climbing hempweed, Mikania scandens. It is a native plant,...
Vine With Yellow Flowers And Green Seed Pods
Q: I have a vine growing from inside my boxwood. It has very tiny yellow flowers and little green seed pods hanging from the vine. I can’t get to the base of the plant because the boxwood is so big...
Can I Till The Dried Vegetables Vines In My Raised Bed?
Q: Now that the squash and other vegetables are withered in my raised bed garden, can I till the dried vines into the bed where they grew or should they be put in the compost pile? According to the planting...
Cardinal Climber Vines Are Not Blooming
Q: My three sunny cardinal climber vines are not blooming. They’re pretty big and green but no blooms. A: Cardinal climber, and its parents, cypress vine and red morning glory, are vigorous annual vines. Given a good site in which...
Stopping Growth On Wisteria Stump
Q: I recently cut down a thirty-year-old wisteria vine in my back yard. Now the whole stump is covered in new growth. Is there anything I can use to stop the growth, kill the root system, etc.? A: Remove the...
Cardinal Climber Vine Not Blooming
Q: My three sunny cardinal climber vines are not blooming. They’re pretty big and green but no blooms. Jody Darby, Calhoun A: Cardinal climber, and its parents, cypress vine and red morning glory are vigorous annual vines. Given a good...
How/Why Kudzu And Chinese Privet Were Brought Here
Q: Could you tell me how and why kudzu and Chinese privet were brought here? A: Kudzu came from Japan to the United States at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Importers thought it could be a nice flowering vine...
I Mowed Over Poison Ivy Vines – Is It Still Toxic?
Q: I threw poison ivy vines out in the yard and mowed over them. Now I’m afraid that I spread it throughout the yard. Do I avoid going out in the backyard for the entire summer? A: I am not...
When To Prune Muscadines
Q: My muscadines have not been pruned but the vines are just about fully leafed out. What do I do at this point? A: It is tough to decide what to do this late in the spring. Flowers have already...
